Invited to attend our neighboring country’s literary festival "Bhutan Echoes” from July 4-6, 2023, actor Tara Sutaria ended the sojourn having her image adorn a commemorative stamp issued by that country, along with that of her twin sister Pia who had accompanied her.
Invited to speak about the arts in India and the impact this has had on her, Tara told us after the event that she dwelt on her career "in music, dance, the theater and of course films, because these have touched my life in so many ways…To be able to talk about it now as a member of the Indian film industry was very exciting… how much value it has brought to my life not only in my profession but also as a young woman… The response of the Bhutanese people was one of immense love towards my sister and me. They in turn shared their experiences of Bhutan so it was a true cultural exchange.”
Top: Pia and Tara Sutaria on commemorative stamps;
above, from l: Pia, Queen Mother of Bhutan, Tara
Tara Sutaria at an event at the Bhutanese literary fest
The four-day festival included "lunches and dinners hosted by the Queen Mother (Gyalyum Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, chief patron of the festival) … I enjoyed one-on-one time with Her Majesty and all the guests who were present at the festival.” Tara stated that it was "nice to be in a room that had experienced so much life, authors and writers and ambassadors of things that really matter.” Her interaction with the Indian and Bhutanese media was "lovely,” adding that it was an "amalgamation of the arts and literature with actors, writers, musicians and everything related to the arts.”
Tina, the twins’ mother shared a handwritten letter from the Queen Mother to the siblings: "Having you here for (your) debut (at) Bhutan Echoes was special, you were charming and charismatic. Thank you for your participation…Enjoyed your melodious songs.” The royal gifted a statue of the Buddhist deity Tara to Tara and a silver bracelet to her dancer-sister Pia.
Interested in showbiz even as little girls, the performing arts have been the siblings’ career choice since they were 17 (see "Trills and twirls,” Parsiana, March 7, 2013). Tara began her singing career in the early 2010s with Disney India’s Big Bada Boom and transitioned to acting in television sitcoms before moving to films in 2019. Tina told Parsiana that Tara will be seen in a web movie titled Apurva later this year, reportedly a thriller. Pia is "highly focused” on her career in dance (see "Filling the void,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, May 7-20, 2022).
Bhutan Echoes coordinates and produces events to promote literature, culture and art in the country, culminating in Drukyul’s Literature Festival, an annual international literary festival. Drukyul is a historic name for Bhutan, Wikipedia notes.